Bexar County residents have the chance on Tuesday morning to weigh in on a possible tax increase that could help pay for a new arena for the San Antonio Spurs.
The county is holding a public input session at 11 a.m. at the Bexar County Courthouse on two proposals to raise the hotel stay portion of its venue tax to 2%. Commissioners could also order the Nov. 4 election during the meeting.
KSAT will livestream the public input session in this article. Delays are possible; if there is not a livestream available, check back at a later time.
In any case, commissioners need to act by Aug. 18 to put the tax on the Nov. 4 ballot. Even then, voters would still have the final say.
Bexar County owns the Spurs’ current home, the Frost Bank Center, but the team wants to move to a new downtown arena in Hemisfair, where it would be the anchor of a sports and entertainment district, Project Marvel, planned by the City of San Antonio. The new arena is expected to cost up to $1.5 billion.
County voters passed the current venue tax — split between a 5% tax on short-term car rentals and a 1.75% hotel tax — in 1999 to fund the construction of the Spurs’ current home.
In 2008, voters agreed to use the tax for river improvements, sports facilities, performing arts facilities and community arenas.
Raising the hotel portion could bring in roughly $448 million in extra capacity, county officials have previously said.
The county wants to use most of the money, previously shared at a combined $278 million to $290 million, to fund upgrades and improvements to the Frost Bank Center, Freeman Coliseum, and the surrounding Coliseum grounds to ensure the area’s viability after the Spurs leave.
The remaining amount, approximately $158 million to $170 million, would help fund a new Spurs arena.
The county plans to present the two uses as separate ballot propositions. The proposition tied to the arena will likely be the only chance voters have to weigh in directly on that part of the project.
City of San Antonio staff have said the city could contribute $350 million to $500 million through a variety of funding streams, none of which would require voter approval.
A presentation at a July 25 council meeting also had the county penciled as providing up to 25% of the arena’s cost, up to $311 million.
Spurs Sports & Entertainment Chairman Peter J. Holt said the organization’s investors and future development partners are willing to put in $500 million and guaranteed coverage of cost overruns for a new arena, as well as $500 million in adjacent downtown development and $60 million in community incentives.
Related coverage on KSAT
- San Antonio considers $350-$500 million contribution to Spurs’ downtown arena amid public opposition
- San Antonio Spurs commit at least $1 billion to develop downtown sports and entertainment district, including new arena
- Bexar County tax hike could send about $175M toward Spurs arena, Peter J. Holt says ‘has to have that’ on public funding
